Emile Ford and the Checkmates

[donna plasky]

I happened to find this video of Emile Ford and The Checkmates -- if you go to about the 0:28 mark, there is an orange playbill or concert programme -- with several photos on it. Cliff Richard's photo is in the center, Emile Ford's photo is on there, Billy Fury, Adam Faith, and one or two other people. I wonder if this is how Cliff or The Shadows met Alan Hawkshaw.

Another video has this wording underneath it:

"Emile Ford & The Checkmates singing their big 1960 hit, "Counting Teardrops".

Thanks to JacquiHUK for the following information: - Born Emile Sweetman on 16th October 1937 in Castries, St Lucia. He grew up in Nassau and emigrated to Great Britain with the ambition to be an engineer. As an engineer, he developed a special sound system, and with this unique sound, Emile Ford turned singer and he and his group The Checkmates secured a recording contract with Pye records and had several hit records, including the No.1 hit "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?" produced by Joe Meek. In the late 60's, Emile moved to Scandinavia but still continued to market his own designed sound systems in the UK and was involved with producing other artists. During the 90's he moved to California where he still sells his sound equipment."

Kind regards,
Donna

[Alan Prudhoe]

IIRC He also did a short stretch in Durham Jail for non payment of maintenance. We met him at a local filling station on the old A1 the night he was released. It had a coffee machine outside and many of the local groups would have a late night meet up there to chat after a gig.It was well known in the area.The Pretty Things also called in one night.

he was also the first act I ever knew to use backing tapes for a live performance. Pretty revolutionary at the time and not received well by many of the audience and especially club backing musicians who considered it "cheating" (and still do)

Happy days

[JimN]

Ah yes... Emile and his biggest hit: Warrior.

Note also the meeting with Paul McCartney and Pete Best in the Beatles' leather-clad, Cavern Club and Tower Ballroom days.

There was always some sort of off-stage friendship between the Checkmates and the Shadows. I don't think it was a management tie-up, though there was certainly a management tie-up with Frank Ifield and it did him no harm. Later, the same would be true of Labi Siffre.

[hbmartin]

I think the management connection with Frank Ifield came before The Shadows. I remember reading Peter Gormley came to the UK from Australia together with Frank Ifield. I might be wrong. Does anyone know for sure? Also the Labi Sifrre and Shadows management connection still exists today. I think the Outrider company is the manager for both. Is that right Jim?

[Nick Smith]

A very good friend of mine called Rex Gates used to play bass for him - Rex' best mate Peter Carter (RIP) once stood in for Bruce with The Shads in the early '60s. Played a rock and roll gig many years ago with my Dad's band and Emile was our support act, complete with his backing tracks! And of course, Emile's brother George played bass with The Shadows for a short period in 1980!

Nick

[drakula63]

Alan's book, The Champ - The Hawk Talks, goes into the whole saga of Emile Ford and the Checkmates in some detail. I think he met Brian Bennett first and 'jammed' with him and Licorice Locking in the very early Sixties, prior to them joining the Shads. I think the very first gig the Shadows did without Cliff was with The Checkmates playing their first gig without Emile!!!

The book's great. Buy it. The Hawk tells me that there is the 'possibility' of an updated/expanded/new edition when the first pressing sells out. So, the more people who buy the original version, the more chance there is of this follow up...